Culture Clashes

Our female teachers' volleyball team is an interesting microcosm of the situation in general at school. A combination of both foreign and Turkish players, yesterday I learned just how different the two mentalities can be. In my mind I'm playing volleyball (or any sport) for fun and exercise. I'm no where near as serious as I was when I was younger and I just enjoy being out there and having a chance to interact with other people. Of course I will always play my hardest during a game, but I have to admit I don't care to much if we win or lose as long as I feel like I've played well.

We had our first game on Sunday, and to my surprise we actually won (3-1). We don't have an amazing team but have six solid players and another 5 that didn't see much, if any, playing time. So, yesterday at practice we sat down to have a discussion about "what we expect from this team." Our coach (a p.e. teacher here at school) wanted to know if "we were playing for fun or playing to win." It turns out that in his mind, and in the minds of most of the Turks, there is only one or the other. No middle ground. For about an hour we debated about what this all meant, did every single player need to play in a game? Do they understand no one is asking for equal playing time, they just want to see the court? How can we win if we don't put the best six out there? Why didn't you say you were tired if you were? (What's the role of a coach if I have to take myself out of the game? I never admit how tired I am to myself or else I won't be able to keep going.) What started out phrased as a question quickly turned into a rationalization on the part of the Turks as to why what happened Sunday was okay, and frustration on the foreigner's part as we tried to come up with a recommendation that would provide some sort of middle ground. No dice. Practice finally started when our coach stated "Well you're just going to have to trust me to do what is best so that we can win," revealing that he was not going to change his mind, but at least the truth was finally out there.

I guess that means that I can expect a lot of playing time in the following weeks, which was not exactly what I wanted to hear. But when you come face to face with cultural differences I guess it's usually the foreign opinion which gives way. It seems like we come face to face with completely different viewpoints quite frequently at school with a faculty that is about 70% Turkish and 30% foreign, and often the foreign viewpoint is the one that gives way, whether it is because we just don't care enough to continue to fight the system or because we are so vastly outnumbered. And after considering all of it, we are the visitors learning about a different culture.